Chapter Five
The Tardis door closed behind him with a hollow click. He stumbled a few steps before dropping to his knees. The mesh floor bit into his skin. She betrayed me, he thought numbly she betrayed me. His mind refused to accept that simple fact. Why? How could she betray me? He felt heartsick at her actions.
Pain sang through every nerve. A shiver wracked his body and he realised with a start that it wasn't the first. It's starting then, he thought and stumbled to his feet. The Tardis controls swam in front of his eyes as he struggled to make them work. His fingers felt numb, disconnected from his body. He hissed in annoyance as even the simplest task became incredibly difficult. The third attempt left him breathless and shaking on the floor. He gathered his flagging strength and hauled himself to his feet. This time, the controls responded to his touch. He sighed with relief as the engines rasped to life.
His hearts raced and pain spiked through his chest as they went out of sync. Endless coloured stars danced in front of his eyes, the brightest he'd ever seen. They grew bigger and bigger until they filled his vision with a kaleidoscope of flashing, multi coloured static. He blinked, and panic set in as he realised he couldn't see. Please... not that. Anything but that... He sucked in a breath that made him cough hard and set the stars dancing once again. They gradually faded into nothing. It left him drained, huddled on the floor by the controls.
The Tardis gathered speed and he slumped in relief. I'm leaving that planet behind. An emotion flashed across him mind too quickly for him to capture it. I'm leaving Rose behind. The emotion tasted a lot like regret the second time it swamped him. The pain roared back in full force and he let himself be washed away by it. Then there was only darkness.
He dreamt. He dreamt of a glorious meadow bathed in rich, golden sunlight. Trees dappled the grass with shadows. Birds wheeled and called in the periwinkle sky. A family sat on the grass, a picnic spread around them. The mother laughed, a joyous sound as her daughter played nearby. Her husband faced away from him. His finger trembled against the button. The control unit felt very warm in his hands. It vibrated... its own mind trapped in the steel box. It vibrated again, harder. He could feel its excitement. He dropped the box, appalled. And I brought this...
Strange, harsh sounds broke into his mind. He blinked, once, twice to clear his eyes. The inside of the Tardis came into view. We've stopped. He rolled to his side and groaned as pain threatened to tear him in half. Have to get up. Have to open the door. He used the console to drag himself to his feet and stumbled to the door. It swung open easily under his trembling touch.
All the breath left his body in a rush. Oh, no. No no no! His mind screamed even as he recoiled from the figure in the doorway. Strong hands grabbed his arms just as his strength left him and he slumped to the floor.